Many articles sold in commerce, by law or for other compelling reasons, are now marked with various indicia. Such information as the manufacturer, the production run, the producing plant, price information and the like are typical of the types of information which are now often marked on such articles in a coded form. As a result, special techniques have been devised to convey such information or data in a highly densified form. One such data form is the Universal Product Code (UPC) which consists of a series of parallel bars in one or more fields, depending on the particular version of the code, which can be read optically with sensing devices, such as laser scanners. Usually these codes also include printed numerals at one end of the bars through which the encoded information is displayed.
For the UPC-type codes or similar codes to be machine readable, the printing of the code must be done in a manner that relatively high resolution of the printed information is obtained. Further, such information must be printed to certain specifications in order for the laser scanner or other similar device to read the information into a computer.
For example, the coded information of the UPC can vary infinitely in size without effecting the degree to which it can be read by a scanning device, so long as certain relative relationships are maintained between the several characters in the code. Further, the format can be square or varied in numerous ways so long as a straight line scanning path across the code can be achieved.
More specifically with reference to the UPC, each character in its code is composed of seven modules (two bars and two spaces). If the module width is 0.010 inches, the bar or space tolerance within each character is plus or minus 0.001 inches, the edge-to-edge tolerance within the character is plus or minus 0.00147 inches, and the character-to-character tolerance is plus or minus 0.00290 inches. Alternatively, if the module width is 0.025 inches, these tolerances are respectively plus or minus 0.00958 inches, plus or minus 0.00367 inches and plus or minus 0.00725 inches. See "UPC Symbol Specification" January, 1975, published by Distribution Codes, Inc., 401 Wythe St., Alexandria, Va.
Obviously, these specifications are difficult to maintain in a hand-held and -operated label generating device, especially due to the limited character-to-character tolerances. It is even more difficult to maintain these specifications when the hand-held unit includes the flexibility to dial and print labels having optionally selected codes.
As a result, some hand-held label generating devices, such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,078 issued to Pelet, have used other codes to avoid the relatively strict specifications of the UPC. While the specifications for labels conforming with the UPC specifications can be printed with large console-type units or with conventional printing equipment, it is difficult to achieve the necessary resolution and tolerances in lightweight hand-held and hand-operated label printing devices such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,609 issued to Schrotz et al or the above U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,078 issued to Pelet.
This invention relates to a hand-held and hand-operated label device capable of generating labels to the specifications of the UPC which includes the capability of changing the imprinted data on successive labels.
Another object of the instant invention is the provision of a unitized imprinter and platen assembly that ensures data imprinting with high resolution on successive labels in a portable imprinting unit.
A still further object of the instant invention is the provision of an imprinter and platen assembly capable of printing highly densified data, along with the ability to dial different data into the imprinting surface.
A still further object is the provision of a hand-held label imprinter device which employs a single lever operator to eliminate errors when the device is in use.
Another object of the instant invention is a small lightweight portable unit capable of generating printed data having high resolution and which can be easily loaded with label stock and printing medium to produce high resolution labels.
Of course, a general feature of the instant invention is the provision of a precision portable hand-operated label generating unit which will allow the production of locally-generated labels conforming to the UPC specifications at all levels of product distribution.